A New Champion
by someonesbeenhere
Summary: You've just saved Galar from ruin and you're about to go up against the Champion in a head to head battle. You've worked hard for this but do you have it in you to take everything away from the man you've fallen for? What will happen if you do? Maybe a new adventure will begin...
1. Chapter 1

You can't sleep again tonight. It's hot and you have no choice but to leave the balcony doors to your hotel suite wide open to let in even the smallest breeze if it were to come. Unfortunately, with that comes the hustle and bustle of eager news reporters, clearly not moving anywhere else tonight. It's you that they're waiting for. To snap a photo, shout a question, even catch a glimpse of the hero that saved the Galar region from the Chairman's psychotic scheme.

It still didn't seem real to you, any of it. When you recalled it, it seemed more like a dream than a memory. Crazy but it definitely happened. The pokeball twitching with the power of a Legendary was proof of that. Poor Leon, the Chairman expected so much from him. Something that Leon never wanted but was forced into. When the Eternatus pokemon managed to knock him out cold, you had to do something. None of this was Leon's fault and yet he'd tried so hard to fix it, to save everyone. He deserved someone to try for him. Now you had the legendary pokemon in a pokeball attached to your hip. It felt different to the others but it was another reminder of everything that happened.

Strangely, you had slept better while camping out in the Wild Area than you did lounging around this lavish hotel suite. Maybe you needed that again, the quite, the calm. Away from hounding newscasters. You wander over to the open balcony doors and look down at the crowd gathered around the hotel's front doors. The crowd was held back by barriers that were maned by hotel security staff, even so, if you strolled casually out the front doors, the crowd would almost certainly follow. No, there had to be another way out of the building. You whip your bag and pokeballs off the table and head to the door, slipping your boots on as you passed them. You opened the door ever so slightly and poked your head out. No one. Hotel staff was doing an amazing job at keeping people away from the gym leaders and the challengers. You slink out into the hall and quietly head … towards the lifts? You weren't entirely sure. Go the roof and call a flying taxi? No, you'll definitely be spotted. Your brain tumbled over itself trying to think when a clearing throat cough alerted you to some else's presence in the hallway. You straighten up and slowly turn towards the sound. Raihan casually propped himself against the wall just down from you, smirking gleefully at the sight before him.

"Heading somewhere superstar?" He piped up. You don't answer. Eventually, he laughs. "Difficult isn't it? Becoming famous? Can't do anything without someone taking a photo of it, better just to snap your own." Raihan lifted his hand that held his rotom phone and a flash and shutter click signalled a candid photo of you was now in his possession.

"I just want to get some quite for a bit." You told him. Raihan continued to smile but it became a knowing smile rather than a mocking one. He nodded. "You completed the entire Gym Challenge, you have beaten all the gym leaders, Chairman Rose, a legendary pokemon … and even me." He flashed a cheeky grin and winked as he wandered towards you. "Hell, you'll probably even take down Leon," Raihan slunk past you and down the hall a little, he stopped by an alcove where an expensive looking portrait of Galar's hero hung. He thumped his fist against the alcove wall and it clicked a swung open. "But you've still got a lot to learn superstar." He grinned.

You leaned around him and examined the exit he had created. It seemed to be an emergency stairwell, hidden behind the wall of the extravagant hotel. Raihan stepped away, heading back to his own room.

"Don't stay out too late now!" He called back, "You're battling the Champion tomorrow."

What? The battle was cancelled until Leon was well again.

"Leon's awake?" You asked Raihan. He chuckled.

"'Course he is, can't keep him down for long! They've had a hard enough time getting him to take a couple of days rest as it is. See ya on the big screen." He says as he waves you off and heads into his room.

Leon was okay. You breathed a sigh of relief. You hadn't seen him since that night and since then you hadn't any idea how he was or if he was okay. As you bounded down the stairwell, you wondered if you should go and see him, check he really was fine. Fit enough to battle tomorrow. No, best not, there was no way you'd get anywhere near the Champion anyway. Go get away from here, get some quite, maybe train a little especially if the final battle was tomorrow. You reached the bottom of the stairs and pushed open the only door available. It opened out into the side alley of the hotel and you stuck your head out slightly into the street. The reporters were so occupied watching the hotel's lobby that they didn't even notice you with your hat pulled down sneak by behind them. As soon as you were alone again, you broke out into a sprint, barrelling out into the wilderness surrounding the city.

The few pokemon you encountered on your trek were no trouble for your Inteleon and the rest of your party. A nice exciting warm up from them, however tomorrow's battle wouldn't be anywhere near as easy. You'd chosen your party specifically for battling Leon. Knowing full well it would all come down to him. You'd watched him battle enough times to know his entire party, their types and move sets. You aimed for super effective type advantages, they would give you a boost against Leon's skill and experience. Your Fairy-type Swirlix for Dragapult and Haxourus, Fire-type Ninetales for Aegislash and Rillaboom and Inteleon for Rhyperior and Gigantmaxed Charizard. You added Eternatus to your party as well, it's Dynamax power was something you had never seen before and as much as you didn't want to use it against Leon, it could come in handy in a pinch.

When the trail went quiet and there were no pokemon to be seen, you set up camp. As you fanned the flames of your campfire, you found a strange sinking feeling settling in. It was a little less than a year ago that you started out on this venture with Hop. You'd looked after and raised pokemon since you were ten years old, it was almost another 10 years later before you managed to get endorsed to finally take part in the Gym Challenge. Hop had been trying for years to get his brother to endorse him and you were just in the right place at the right time when he finally did. Leon must have endorsed you out of pity, sure that you would drop out early like many who came unprepared for the Challenge. But you proved to all those who doubted you that you were worth that endorsement, you were determined not to let down Leon, or worse embarrass him. But now, you could be the one to take it all away from him. Could you bare to do that?

It wasn't until the other night, when you saw him in real trouble that you had fully realised. That you may very well be, rather deeply, hopelessly in love with him. You were going to have to push those feelings deep down in order to beat him, or else you might not have the heart to do it.

A rustling in the tall grass brought you out of your reverie. You grabbed for a pokeball and you held it up, ready to launch it at whatever emerged from the grass. About to release the ball, you halted when you saw what made the noise.

"Leon?" You gasped, your face a picture of surprise.

"Hey, woah! I come in peace!" You put the pokeball back in your bag and said nothing. You didn't know what to say. You couldn't recall a time when you were with Leon alone, you were always with Hop. "I've seen those pokemon of yours and I wouldn't want to be on the wrong end of them." He said with a grin.

"You won't have a choice tomorrow." You said solemnly. His grin faded but didn't disappear entirely. He nodded.

"True. But how about we remain civil for now?" He beamed at you again. It was infectious and you couldn't help but smile back.

"I'd like that." You told him. With that, Leon stepped forward and sat by you next to the fire. "How did you find me?" You asked him.

"Raihan posted a photo of you sneaking out of the hotel and when me and Charizard were on approach I saw you legging it out of town." He chuckled. "I wasn't kidding you know, you and that party of yours really are something. I'm glad that I got to be the one to endorse you."

"Yeah, it only took you like 8 years!" You reminded him. "Took you long enough. Didn't think I could handle it?" He smiled at you softly.

"It wasn't you I was worried about." He told you.

"Hop." You said and Leon nodded.

"I've been battling pokemon since I was 10 years old and been the Champion since I was 12. I know the kind of person I am. Focused, ambitious, busy. I barely see my family anymore. Being Champion takes over your life and honestly, I wanted better for Hop." He chuckled. "Turns out Hop is more ambitious than I am! I'm so proud of him but I'm glad he's out of the competition, hopefully he'll find his real dream now instead of following mine." You listened intently. "I haven't put you off being Champion have I?" He asked, a hint of mischief twinkled in his golden eyes.

"Never." He smiled.

"Good, I'm looking forward to battling you. To be honest, I'm been looking forward to it for quite a while, seeing how strong you are."

"You've been watching my battles?" You asked surprised. The great Champion Leon has been watching you, keeping tabs on you. His cheeks flushed a pale pink.

"Yeah, you're the one to watch. I had to check you out. I'm sure your even more formidable now." He tilted his head towards your bag of pokeballs, referring to the pokeball that ebbed and twitched with ancient power. He knew you had Eternatus. "I wanted to thank you for that by the way." He said quietly.

"Thank me? For what?"

"For saving me-uh … Galar from Eternatus. From Rose."

"Leon, I did nothing. I just finished what you started. You're Galar's real hero. You went straight to Rose Tower without a second thought-"

"But you did it." He interrupted. "I couldn't catch Eternatus … but you did. So thank you." He placed one of his large hands on yours, genuine gratitude ebbed from him. He looked at you, honey gold eyes baring into your soul. Your breath hitched and your heart throbbed painfully as it beat in your chest. "Why did you go to Rose Tower in the first place?" He asked.

"To help Galar." You lied. He smiled slightly and nodded.

"Well you did." Your hand in his began to burn. The heat from his hands around yours was becoming too much to bear. You pulled yours away and stood up to pack up your tent.

"We'd better get back, big day tomorrow." You said distracting yourself with tent pegs and poles.

"Of course." Said the powerful voice behind you. "Let me help you back though."

Leon bundled you onto the back of Charizard and what was a complex and long journey out of the city was a brisk and beautiful trip back. Too brisk. You tried not to think too much about Leon's arms around you as you rode back. When he dropped you off on the roof of the hotel, you tried to say goodbye as quick as possible but something that had worried you from the very beginning of the challenge weighed heavy on your mind.

"Leon?" You said.

"Yeah?"

"Promise me … you won't go easy tomorrow." He gave you a wide smile.

"I wouldn't dream of it." You smiled back.

"Goodnight Champion." You turned to leave and as you stepped through the roof access door you thought you heard him say goodnight too.

Charizard was the only one who heard what Leon really said and if Charizard could talk to you he would have told you that Leon said "Night, Champ."


	2. Chapter 2

You wrung your hands over and over. You didn't know where your current nervousness came or when it set in. You were more than confident in yourself and your pokemon. You'd raised Inteleon and Swirlix and the others since they were so tiny, you whole heartedly believed that they'd win for you. Is that what was making you nervous? Knowing that you had what it takes? What it takes to crush Leon, to take his title away from him? Being Champion was his whole life, it was everything that he was. A champion, an idol, a hero. Who would Leon even be without it all? The thoughts tumbled through your mind. Could you picture Leon becoming a chef? A breeder? A watt trader? A gym leader? A professor? You couldn't imagine him with his vibrant hair, sparkling eyes and firey personality doing something so mundane. He _was_ the Unbeatable Champion, he just was. No matter what happened today, he would always be the Champion to you.

The announcer's booming voice cut through your train of thought, bringing you back to the moment. The huge moment that it was. Your name was announced through the speakers, bass vibrating the air in your lungs. You had to focus intently to take a deep breath before walking slowly through the tunnel and out onto the battlefield. The bright lights of the stadium dazzled you. They were the same ones you battled under only a few days previous and the tiered seats were just as full as you remembered but now everything was so overwhelming. You saw yourself, up on the big screen, Leon on the screen opposite. He looked amazing, powerful, strong, like he belonged up there. He never failed to amaze you. The doubt began to set in. How were you ever going to beat the Unbeatable Champion? Looking at the two of you towering over the crowds, you were sure of one thing at least. You were going to give this battle absolutely everything you had. Leon deserved that of you.

The real Champion was no less impressive than his jumbotron photo. He approached you with the most gleeful smile. A smile so unreservedly full of joy and excitement that you were sure that he knew that he was going to win. When you stopped in front of each other, you made a mental note to remember this moment. Leon, a legend, standing before you, surround by adoring crowds but smiling at you.

"Ready?" He asked you. You knew that no words would come if you tried so you just nodded. He held his hand out to you and you took it. To the people watching the jumbotron, it was just a handshake. But to you it sparked and burned in your hand like holding a wild Togedemaru. The way he looked at you melted you to your core. He pulled you in closer. "You know, I can't remember the last time I was this excited." He told you. Your heart thudded in your throat, you swallowed it long enough to speak.

"Remember your promise." You reminded him. He smirked.

"I haven't forgotten." He still held onto your hand and the intense burning before was starting to cloud your mind. "Will you promise me the same?" You nodded in reply before you could even think it through. All your thoughts of going easy, not taking the Champion title from Leon. All of it thrown to the side by your automatic reply. "Good, it wouldn't be as fun otherwise." With a quick wink, Leon pulled away and whisked his cape off to the delight of the crowd. The loss of his burning touch made you gasp, like you had been holding a breath the entire time. Did he have that effect on everyone or was it just you?

"Let's have a champion time!" He roared and the massive crowd went wild.

You take a few steps back to take your place in the arena. Leon reaches for a pokeball from his hip and launches it out on the field.

"Aegislash, go!" As the steel-ghost pokemon appeared in front of Leon's adoring crowd, the corner of your lips curved upwards.

"Let's go Ninetales!" You yelled as the beautiful fire pokemon burst out of its pokeball. The superiority of your opponent wasn't lost on her and she turned to look at you. You gave her a reassuring nod. "You're faster than it, hit it with Flamethrower!" A firey glint sparkled in her eyes before she turned to unleash the spout of flames against her opponent. It was a great ego boost to both of you when the ghost fainted from that one critical hit. It retreated back into its pokeball in the gloved hand of its trainer. Leon gave you a huge grin. He was just getting started.

Getting through the fight without Inteleon was a challenge in itself. Especially with Rhyperior but Swirlix managed to hold his own against the pokemon's ground/rock/fire/bug move set. His Energy Ball move managed to take the rock pokemon down, occasionally using Draining Kiss when it was called for.

1 pokemon to go.

When Charizard leapt out onto the field with a roar, Leon joined his partner in his trademark Charizard pose. Your ears filled with the thundering cheer that erupted from the stadium. This was it.

"Inteleon! It's your time to shine!" The water pokemon stood cooly, drinking in his adoring crowd. He looked up at Charizard unfazed.

"Watch that Inteleon, Charizard! His Snipe Shot is killer!" Leon called out. Leon was smart and a highly skilled pokemon trainer, he knew he was at a type disadvantage. Yet when he looked at you, his grin stretched from ear to ear. "Come on, Charizard! Let's Gigantamax!"

Charizard had one of the most beautiful Gigantamax forms you had ever seen. Fearsome still but now covered in glowing intricate designs. Pokemon and partner were both a sight to behold but you couldn't let that distract you now, not when you were this close. You ignited the Dynamax energy in your Dynamax band and recalled Inteleon. When you released him again, he towered at the same height as the massive dragon.

"Inteleon! Snipe Shot!" Inteleon unleashed his special move on Charizard and Leon's pokemon was left with very little health when he hit Inteleon with Fire Blast. It wasn't very effective. Now was your chance, hit him fast and end it now! "Sucker Punch!" You yelled. But the move failed. Leon gave Charizard a Full Restore. The dragon was back to full health and Inteleon had taken some damage, albeit, very little. You gave Inteleon a Super Potion to get him back to the same level as his opponent. You and Leon locked eyes. The crowd's noise seemed to subside and a quiet stillness fell around the two of you. You could see him thinking it, the hesitation filling him, the idea of backing down fleeting across his mind. No, he couldn't. He wouldn't!

"You promised." You spoke the words so quietly that you weren't even sure if you really said them. But Leon heard them. His eyes narrowed and he nodded once.

"Charizard! Solar Beam!"

No. No no no no.

"Inteleon!" You screamed. As your partner pokemon took the damage dealt to him, all you could see was that little Sobble that Leon gave you. His tiny hand and feet, so playful, so trusting. He trusted you to train him, for times like this and it still broke your heart every time when you saw him faint. But not today. Inteleon clung on, just for you. He gave you a trusting look, knowing that you would know what to do now. "Got one more move left in you buddy?" You asked him. He gave you a nod in return. You smiled and nodded back. "Inteleon. Hydro Pump."

The audience's cheers must have been deafening because you heard nothing. Throbbing in your ears made you feel unstable and unsure. Were you even really here? Did you really just win? Your eyes darted around, your face plastered across every single big screen in the stadium. You looked blank, stunned. You were only brought back to reality when Leon's massive arms swept you up into a tight hug.

"That was amazing! You were amazing!" With his voice came the rush of cheers and klaxons and music. You really did. You won! When you looked down at the mad who was embracing you, you felt that feeling again. The tightening in your chest. You breathed hard and heavy, gasping for any air that wasn't full of him. Something to help you breathe normally again. This time though, something was different. It seemed that you weren't the only one who felt this high. This blissful drug that the two of you created when you touched and that always sent you off the deep end. Leon reached up a hand moved a strand of hair that had fallen across your eyes. His fingertips brushed your cheekbone so lightly that the only way you knew that it happened was because of the sting of electricity that buzzed between the two of you when it happened. His golden eyes widened to stare at you, the pocket of air around you becoming so think with tension that you were only the tiniest bit relieved when Inteleon dowsed the two of you in a plume of water in celebration. Or was that a tinge of jealousy? Leon dropped you on your feet and raised your arm to the cheers of the stadium.

"People of Galar!" He boomed. "Here you have it! A new legend born right before your eyes! Your Champion!"

As Leon held you out in front of the screaming crowd, he was unsure of how he felt. He thought that surely he would have been heartbroken to have been defeated. But for some reason he felt only elated. He looked down at you, your wide eyes staring, unable to grasp what has just happened. Maybe it was slight relief of no longer having to keep up with the Unbeatable Champion reputation or maybe it was that electrifying spark he felt when he held you. Leon's time as Champion may now be over but something told him that he was about to begin an entirely new and terrifying adventure.


End file.
